The Amazing Allergy Boy

So, for those of you who have read this blog into antiquity, you'll know that my son tested positive for an allergy to grasses and pollens. Well, at that time (last June), we gave our son a scratch test (a nifty test where they literally "scratch" you with a bunch of stuff to see if you'll have an allergic reaction - peanuts, grasses/pollens, soy, pet dander, etc.) Anyhow, my son Levi was allergic to grasses and pollens, so much so, that the hive he got as a result was the size of a quarter. Normal hives from the scratch test are about the size of a pea.

(This is not normal hay fever, folks. Those of you who are nodding about being allergic to grasses and pollens... Sit down. lol My son's trumped you. Keep reading.)

Ever since his scratch test, we've noticed he'll be sniffly and very stuffy if he even thinks about playing on the grass. Therefore, when he goes outside to play with his sisters, he's only allowed on the gravel and dirt of our yard. Poor boy. Last summer, his cousin played in the grass, then stood on Levi's bed in his shoes. Levi woke up the next day with a rash on the side of his face and pustules on his ear. EEWW. I know.

This season, we've noticed my son's allergies have decided to BAM! Kick it up a notch! The boy is miserable, but he insists to go play with his sisters. Reminding him of the grass, he runs out the door with his stick that he's happy to pretend is a pirate cutlass.

But then he comes back into the house - and his eyes are so swollen, my boy looks...odd. The whites of his eyes are completely red, they are watering non-stop, and I notice *something* in his eye. What the heck is that?? Oh my gawd, his eye is so swollen, you can see the inside skin of his eyelid on the OUTSIDE! It looks like it's turning inside-out.

To make a long story short, he picked up a clump of grass to throw into a box in the backyard, only to rub his eyes (because of his allergies) only to make things a million times worse by rubbing the oils of the grass DIRECTLY INTO HIS EYES.

Needless to say, I called DH, he came straight home from work, and we took the boy to the Urgent Care. Their solution? Up his dosage of Benedryl and do NOT let him play outside until he's all better. And even then, make sure you supervise where he plays.

Remember that new deck DH and I had installed this spring? The boy will ONLY be allowed to play on that outside. How sad is THAT?!? :( But holy crap. I've NEVER seen someone so very allergic to grass. I've seen people sneeze and wheeze in the springtime, but this boy explodes if he so much as touches the stuff.

The doc says it will only get WORSE as he gets older. There'll be no mowing the lawn for this boy. And outdoor sports are right out. He'll have to be happy with (indoor) Basketball or Ice Hockey.

My poor dude.

~~Becka